2 four week old puppies

[vegasgrl]

I just got 2 four week old puppies. Help on how to feed, train and any tips would be great.

[MontanaRott]

Can you return them until they are older?

[vegasgrl]

No they won't keep them. I don't know where my boyfriend got them but they eat and go to the bathroom very well.

[brunie's mom]

Please take them back to be with their mother and other litter mates. Pups should not leave their littermates or mother till they are 8 weeks old.
Does not matter if they are eating on their own..they learn so much from their littermates and their mom.

If there is no way to take them back you may have alot of problems in the future with bite inhabition, behaviour etc. They will need to be socialized very well. Take a look at the archives, there is alot of info there.

Gina

[vegasgrl]

I can't take them back we asked the breeder and he said he has gotten rid of all the puppies and does not want anymore back. How can I do this? HELP

[brunie's mom]

Please do not call this person a "breeder". This is someone that produced puppies..and then wanted them out as soon as they were pooping, peeing, eating machines. Do you have a Rottweiler Rescue in Las Vegas? or in the area? Get in touch with them and see if they can give you some pointers. Also seperate the pups once they are about 8 weeks old. Do not crate them together all of the time...you want them to bond to you, not to one another...better yet...find one of them a good home. I assume you are inexperienced raising Rottweilers?? If so...then raising and training one will be a challenge enough...two will be almost impossible to do right by.

Start reading as much as you can here.

Gina

[vegasgrl]

Thank you. I think my boyfriends dad might take one.

[damp]

Well you really have your hands full!!!

It’s not easy to raise two pups from the same litter at all. But so far the pups have each other. I would already look for a good home to take over one of the pups when they are 8 weeks old.

As for feeding wait till the breeders chime in. They will know!

Also as a side note, I don’t really see the needs to put so much energy and effort into raise two pups of unknown extraction. Well, it can be done by experienced owners. In many cultures, the best choice for the pups future (and the society) would be culling, as they are of unknown extraction (temperament, health, etc...) and their future is very bleak, given the type of upbringing they've received thus far.

[brunie's mom]

Originally Posted by vegasgrl

Thank you. I think my boyfriends dad might take one.

But let them stay together now till they are at least 8 weeks old. They should not be seperated...at least they will learn from one another for the next little while.

As far as food..get them on the best quality food. Something like Innova www. naturapet.com or Canidae www.canidae.com probably soaked in in bitches milk substitute (available at a petstore).
The should be eating at least 4-5 times a day at this young age...and then by 8 weeks, they can eat 3 times till they are about 4-5 months old.

If you have friends with a well behaved older bitch...the pups will learn things from her.

Gina

[poohbearsmom]

I certainly don't envy the position you're in. It's difficult for experienced dog people to rear 'orphaned' pups well... it's 10 times as difficult for novices.

I can certainly see why, in many cultures culling would be the kindest thing to do for these pups, as damp said. The nature part is unknown (heredity), and thusfar, nurture ain't been that great, if the breeder has gotten rid of all the pups since they've been weaned. That stinks, but it is life.

Hopefully, at this point, you can give the pups a fighting chance at turning out to be temperamentally sound, reliable dogs, but IMHO, the odds are not stacked in your favor - through no fault of your own.

Read ALL you can on imprinting, socialization, puppy developmental stages, etc.... searching the forums are a good place to start...these next few weeks will make or break the pups.

The really tough thing about taking these pups on.... IF you invest your time, blood, sweat and tears into these pups - would you be able to put them down if they did turn out with temperamental or health issues that would inhibit them from living a well rounded life, without breaking your bank or your heart? (or someone elses heart - if you're placing one of them at 8 weeks) I think this is a question that must be asked of oneself before taking on this responsibility - just as a breeder should ask themself before breeding... It would be a shame if you put all this hard work in... kept the pups alive just for the sake of keeping them alive, not being able to euthenize them if necessary... only for them to become another shelter or bite statistic.

Things to think about.

[rottsnroses]

Wow, you've taken on a lot. I'm sure much more than you even realize. I also agree that one pup should be rehomed into a suitable, loving home when they reach 8 weeks of age. Raising one rottweiler correctly is a huge job, let alone two at the same time with an inexperienced owner.

Given the fact that your "breeder" is grossly irresponsible, you also need to get these pups checked by a vet for worms and check on a vaccination schedule. I doubt this person had any more interest in these pups other than making a quick buck, so they most likely have not had proper care.

Socialization with other dogs is going to be very important since they were removed from their dam and littermates at such a young age, so start calling training schools to find out about puppy kindergarten classes once they are old enough. While they are too young for any real training, once they are about 10-12 weeks, they can start puppy k. It will be an invaluable socialization experience for them, particularly given the situation. It will also be of help to you in learning how to teach some basics.

The best advice I can give you is to hang around here, search the archives and post when you have questions. There is a wealth of experience and knowledge here, and as long as you keep an open mind, you will learn a lot that will benefit you and your new pups.

[rottiluver]

Ouch...your going to have your work cut out for you...

I got Diesel at 5 weeks old, the owners wouldnt keep them any longer than that. Too much care for someone that obiviously is only in it for the money!!

It was ALOT of hard work just for the one...I always had to be there with him and he cried alot...its a sin really. But he got over it and he's a really great family dog now...mind you i still have behavior issues with him around strangers, but thats something i learnt to deal with and work at anyways.

I wish you the best of luck!!!

[poohbearsmom]

Just thought of something, to add a positive to my serious post before:

You might try to find someone near you who has a litter roughly the same age... perhaps these two pups could be placed in with the litter for a few weeks? Local breed clubs may be able to help you - but you'd have to be darn sure that the pups were clear of ANY health issues that could harm other pups.

Other than that, the local shelter may have a dam with young pups, or know of a foster home with a mama and litter.

Some of the most crucial part of their development is about to take place, and in order to give these pups the best chance, if I were to try and help these babies, I'd try the above.

Good luck with whatever you choose to do.

[Staff's]

Geez, talking about four week old puppies being PTS is a little drastic I think. With two of them at least they should learn bite inhibition from one another and as for food...They are ready to eat solid food. Please use the forum for tons of advise on how to raise them together until one can go to a good home. If you feel this is too much for you please contact a rescue organization. Good luck and thanks for taking these babies....

[BostonRott]

At this age, they need to meet as many people as possible. Have friends over to see the puppies, be sure they are around a lot of children. Expose them to all sorts of noises in the house, leave the radio on different stations when you leave and they stay behind. Socialization is of UTMOST importance. Try to have them meet 100 new people before they are 8 weeks. Have people over to watch football, have a pizza party, etc.

They probably are due for a worming. Vaccines shouldn't start until 8 weeks of age (they have their mother's immunity right now).

They're going to be pottying about every 2 hrs at this age. Cat boxes with the pine litter work well for young puppies, so that when they can't be taken outside, they can learn to confine themselves to a particular area. It will help with housebreaking later. When you can, get them outside to go. They should be eating about every 4-4.5 hrs too. Innova EVO is a wonderful new food that has TINY pieces of kibble and plenty of protein/fat that young pups need to support their rapid growth.

Accustom them at this age to having all parts of their bodies examined, including their teeth and ears. Check to see if the nails need a trim, and only take off the very tips.

Not sure where you live, but be careful of cold temps. Pups of this age get chilled easily, still don't have perfect control of their body temps and shouldn't be out in nasty weather.